Politics

A strong public health infrastructure and international aid are crucial to containing the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, a panel of experts said at a discussion held last week at Daemen College.

“The appropriate infrastructure and control strategy to contain this disease is not in place where the outbreak is at its worst in West Africa,” said Erie County Health Commissioner Dr. Gale Burstein. “The level of global response will determine how quickly the disease can be kept from spreading or stopped and we must make sure the intensive medical care required reaches these patients.”

A capacity crowd turned out for Daemen’s timely Ebola panel discussion, which also included Dr. Joseph Sahr Sankoh, Daemen associate professor of political science and African affairs, and Anthony Saysay, a native Liberian.

Buffalo’s economic growth over the past decade was described as transformational by Mayor Byron W. Brown as he pointed to the city continuing its positive momentum with a strong, workable plan at a recent lecture held at Daemen College.

As featured speaker on Sept. 2 in the college’s latest Distinguished Leaders Lecture Series, Brown talked about major economic development efforts that have improved the city’s vitality and the overall impact the revitalization has had on the region.

“There are visible signs of progress and growth throughout the city, which has experienced $4.4 billion in economic development since 2012, with more than 12,000 new jobs expected to be created over the next few years,” said Brown. “These major investments are changing the city for the better and making it a destination where people want to work, live and play.”

Mayor Byron W. Brown, a staunch advocate for economic development in Buffalo, will discuss the city’s economic resurgence and revitalization efforts as featured speaker in the Daemen College Distinguished Leaders Lecture Series that will take place at 7 p.m. Sept. 2 in the Wick Campus Center Alumni Lounge.

Currently serving a third term as mayor of New York State’s second largest city, Brown’s talk, “Buffalo on the Move: For Our Region, Our State,” will focus on the city’s economic development initiatives over the past decade and the positive impact this growth has had both regionally and statewide.

Ambassador Dnyaneshwar M. Mulay, consul general of India in New York, presented valuable insight into the country’s impressive emergence as an independent nation and underscored the importance of strong U.S.-India relations in the Daemen College Distinguished Leaders Lecture Series event held on July 25.

As the first international speaker in the lecture series, Mulay discussed India’s rich ancient history to offer an intriguing perspective on its evolution to the country that exists today. India’s success, he explained, comes from a blend of history, cultural values and commitment to economic growth.

“India is a land of great aspirations and prosperity and is a country that strives to serve as an example of peace,” said Mulay. “Since its independence (from Great Britain) in 1947, India has embraced working as a unified nation and is focused on living by its affirmations as a democratic society.”

The U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, Jeh Johnson, recently announced that there will be a process for individuals to renew enrollment in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. USCIS has released the updated Form I-821D, which allows DACA recipients to renew their deferral for a two-year period. At the direction of the secretary, USCIS will begin accepting renewal requests immediately.

U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida shed light on the national political scene and her personal path to public service at the Daemen College Distinguished Leaders Lecture Series event held May 13.

In an engaging and conversational style, Wasserman Schultz, chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee, started off speaking before the overflow crowd about her introduction to politics in 1992 when she ran for the Florida State Legislature.

“The opportunity to work in public service was inspiring and presented an opportunity for me to help people, particularly young families, improve education and work on making quality, affordable health care available to everyone,” she said. “However, most of all, I knew my voice could speak for other women like me who are not represented in a political capacity.”

U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida, a leader on women’s and children’s issues, will address national political and policy issues and her own personal and professional story at 1 p.m. May 13 in Daemen College’s Wick Campus Center Alumni Lounge.

The lecture, “A Conversation on National Politics and Policies,” is part of the recently established Distinguished Leaders Lecture Series. The event is free and open to the public.